Nobody knows what Kafka used to look like or what he did before the Wild Card had its nasty way with him, but since the virus thrives on irony, chances are it had something to do with insects. Now a Joker in the form of a human cockroach, his skin's been turned into a brown exoskeleton without facial or body hair, and he's got thin insectlile appendages in place of arms and legs.

He is an electronics and mechanical genius, though - a fact he's not shy in mentioning whenever the opportunity presents itself in conversation. If he talks to you, that is. You name it, he can fix it. In fact, he can probably make a new one from scratch. If only he were as smart when it comes to picking his employers.

Kahina is an attractive Syrian Ace who receives symbolic visions of the future in her dreams, although that's not how she sees it. Although not quite as loopy as her brother, the Nur al-Allah, she's an Islamic fundamentalist who believes the visions are a gift from Allah as a tool to further her brother's ambitions in becoming a modern day prophet. As a 'reward', he gave her in marriage to his right-hand man, Sayyid, an abusive Joker who enjoys beating seven shades of crap out of her anytime he can't get it up. Which is often.

Arnie's a shapeshifting Ace in his early teens who undoubtedly thought up the name himself. He's got the requisite attitude, acne problems and overconfidence one expects from youth, and can metamorphose into any dinosaur he chooses in addition to adopting their natural abilities. Unfortunately, his mass stays the same so the picture on the left is fairly close to his actual size.

In addition, he also possesses the super-special power of being able to annoy the hell out of every adult he comes into contact with. The definitive Ace 'wannabee', Arnie is generally tolerated by his Wild Card peers despite stalking them incessantly and generally getting underfoot. And although his clothes get ripped to shreds every time he changes, he's yet to figure out that carrying an extra set might be to his advantage. New York's cold in the winter time.

On the surface a respectable businessman with friends in high places and a highly profitable chain of legitimate enterprises. Kien is, in fact, the secret head of the Shadow Fists, New York City's largest criminal organisation. A chunky, middle-aged, ethnic Chinese 'nat' of average height and appearance who emigrated to the States in the 'seventies, Kien was actually born in South Vietnam and made his fortune during the war selling military secrets and smuggling all the heroin he could get his mitts on.

However, one of his biggest blunders was ordering a hit on Captain Daniel Brennan (AKA, Yeoman) after he discovered Kien's treachery, resulting in the death of Brennan's pregnant wife. An error of judgement that's sure to come back and bite him in the ass some day. The living embodiment of the American Dream, Kien now considers himself so far up the ladder as to be untouchable. He's not.